Election Day: Bonds, millages on the ballot
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — It’s Election Day, with millages, bonds and local offices on West Michigan ballots.
Polls are open until 8 p.m. You can find your polling place and view a sample ballot by visiting the Michigan Secretary of State’s Voter Information Center website. You don’t need to show photo identification to vote, but it does speed up the process, so the SOS advises you bring your ID.
If you’re voting absentee but haven’t yet returned your ballot, you should take it to your local clerk or put it in a drop box in your jurisdiction rather than mail it. It must be back to your clerk’s office today to get counted — a Nov. 7 postmark isn’t good enough. Make sure to bring a valid photo ID with you. Also, remember to sign your return envelope. Ballots without signatures won’t be counted.
There were some voting mishaps Tuesday, which isn’t uncommon. For example, the ballots designated for Grand Rapids’ Precinct 4 were delivered to Precinct 6 and vice-versa. The problem was soon resolved, the city said.
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Here are some of the races News 8 is keeping an eye on:
East Grand Rapids Public Schools is asking voters to approve a $158.9 million bond. The district says it will not raise taxes. It would pay for a multi-story building addition, “extensive” renovations and classroom improvements.
The Forest Hills Public School District has both a millage and a bond on the ballot:
The operating millage would carry a 0.5 mill increase. If the millage is passed, the district says it would collect nearly $400,000 in the first year.
The $340 million bond would not increase taxes, the district says. It would pay for classroom upgrades and accessible playground equipment, a new aquatic center and other building renovations, new buses and more.
Grand Haven voters will decide on a charter amendment that would dissolve the Board of Light and Power and give the city council control of the utility.
Grand Haven Area Public Schools has two bond proposals on the ballot:
Bond Proposal I seeks to borrow about $118.3 million to pay for building a new middle school, security improvements, new school buses, new technology and more. It carries an estimated simple average millage of 1.92 mills annually.
Proposal II would have an estimated simple average annual millage of 0.55 mills to fund an about $28.7 million bond to fund a multi-purpose facility and other upgrades, plus new musical instruments. An infrastructure bond that would have paid for a new middle school was rejected in May.
Grand Rapids Public Schools is seeking a 20-year, $305 million bond that it says will not raise taxes. The dollars would pay for building upgrades, consolidation improvements, athletics renovations, technology, playgrounds and security.
City of Kalamazoo voters are deciding whether they want to institute ranked choice voting. If it passes, in future elections, voters would rank candidates for mayor and city commission by preference rather than picking just one.
Kalamazoo County is asking voters to approve a 0.1 millage that would raise $1 million annually for the next decade to support veterans services.
Kent County’s Alpine Township has a question on the ballot that would either approve or toss out the rezoning of the land along 4 Mile Road where Gracewil Country Club now sits for a future housing development called Wilder Crossings.
The Kent District Library is asking for a 15-year renewal of its operating millage. It says the renewal will include a 1.1 mill levy, about 11% lower than the current rate. It says it will close if its current millage expires.
Michigan Voter Information Center
A number of leaders in Mecosta County’s Green Township are facing recall, including the supervisor, clerk, treasurer and two trustees. Voters will also decide whether to create a planning commission. There has been conflict in that area over plans to build an electric vehicle battery plant by Chinese-owned Gotion.
The Patmos Library in Jamestown Township is, for a third time, seeking a renewal of its millage. It has failed twice before over community objections to LGBTQ-themed materials in the stacks. Library leaders say without the millage, the library will ultimately be forced to close.
West Ottawa Public Schools is seeking a $237 million bond to fund building, mechanical and technology upgrades. The district says it would decrease the debt tax rate by 0.25 mills from this year’s rate.
Stay with woodtv.com for election results as they come in after polls close. We’ll also have reports on WXSP and 10 p.m. and WOOD TV8 at 11 p.m.
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